Samsung Galaxy S26 Pro vs Galaxy S24: Is it time to upgrade?
The Galaxy S-series is going Pro with the upcoming Galaxy S26 Pro. How does it compare to the two-year-old non-pro Galaxy S24?
Samsung is about to change the S-series lineup once again next year, introducing the first "Pro" model in the form of the Galaxy S26 Pro. This move is probably necessitated by the main competition (Apple and Google) having "Pro" devices in their lineup, but the potential death of the vanilla entry model still feels a bit strange.
Even at this early stage (Galaxy S devices normally launch around January-February), we have a pretty good idea of what the Galaxy S26 will look like and what specs this new phone will have. Send your letters of gratitude to the rumor mill.
Getting out a Pro model poses a couple of questions. What would make the Galaxy S26 good enough for the new moniker? And how would it compare to the previous base models from the same series? Today, we're focusing on the Galaxy S26 Pro vs the Galaxy S24, as this two-year gap is still one of the most common upgrade periods when it comes to smartphones.
Getting out a Pro model poses a couple of questions. What would make the Galaxy S26 good enough for the new moniker? And how would it compare to the previous base models from the same series? Today, we're focusing on the Galaxy S26 Pro vs the Galaxy S24, as this two-year gap is still one of the most common upgrade periods when it comes to smartphones.
Galaxy S26 Pro vs Galaxy S24 expected differences:
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Similar design, slightly different camera housing | Small and compact, separate cutouts for the rear cameras |
| Faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Last generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, still plenty of power |
| Bigger 6.3-inch display | 6.2-inch screen, more compact phone |
| 16GB of RAM, 4GB more than the S25 | 8GB of RAM on all memory configurations |
| Improved 50MP ultrawide camera | The old 12MP ultrawide |
| Bigger 4,300 mAh battery | Slightly smaller 4,000 mAh battery |
| Qi2 support with magnets on the back | Regular wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
It's an oval!
Leaked renders of the Galaxy S26 Pro | Image by OnLeaks
Thanks to the leaked renders from a couple of days ago, we know what the Galaxy S26 Pro will look like, and it's not a huge change. There's a new camera aisle, which reminds us of the pill-shaped camera bump of Xperia phones.
In comparison, the Galaxy S24 features separate cutouts for its three cameras, and it's a classy and clean design. The S24 is also a bit more compact thanks to the smaller screen, and it might be lighter as well, but we still don't know the exact weight of the Galaxy S26 Pro.
In comparison, the Galaxy S24 features separate cutouts for its three cameras, and it's a classy and clean design. The S24 is also a bit more compact thanks to the smaller screen, and it might be lighter as well, but we still don't know the exact weight of the Galaxy S26 Pro.
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 6.96 mm | Thickness 7.6 mm |
| Dimensions 149.3 x 71.4 | Dimensions 147 x 70.6 |
| Weight - | Weight 167 grams |
The building blocks of the Galaxy S26 Pro are expected to be metal and glass, namely aluminum and some form of Gorilla Glass. The Galaxy S24 comes equipped with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on its front and back. We might get some kind of antireflective coating, though, as it's time to trickle down the technology and slap it on non-Ultra Galaxy models.
We still don't have any information on the color palette of the Galaxy S26 Pro, other than the deep blue hue we saw on the renders. The Galaxy S24 available colors are as follows: Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, and Sapphire Blue.
Display Differences
In terms of display size and technology, the Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to feature a slightly bigger 6.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, and even though we don't know the exact resolution and pixel density, chances are the new phone will follow in the footsteps of the previous models. The brightness figures might be a bit higher, but we'll have to see and, most importantly, test the new phone in our lab.
Speaking of testing, the Galaxy S25 managed to output 1345 nits at 100% APL, pretty impressive. The S24 features an FHD+ screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a pixel density of around 416 PPI.
Speaking of testing, the Galaxy S25 managed to output 1345 nits at 100% APL, pretty impressive. The S24 features an FHD+ screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a pixel density of around 416 PPI.
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.3" | Size 6.2" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
*rumored
The biometrics are expected to remain the same - we expect the S26 Pro to sport the same ultrasonic fingerprint scanner as the one found on the previous generations. The bezels around the screen don't look all that narrow from the leaked renders, but we need to see the phone in person to give you a final verdict on that.
Performance and Software
Two generations do make a big difference
There's some good news and some bad news, depending on where in the world you live and whether or not you like Exynos chipsets. The Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to launch with an Exynos 2600 chipset in International markets, and the new and mighty Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in China and the US.
Geekbench scores of the new Qualcomm silicon are already out there, showing blazing fast performance. The single-core score of the chip lies around 3800 points, while the multi-core performance is at the impressive 12400 points.
Geekbench scores of the new Qualcomm silicon are already out there, showing blazing fast performance. The single-core score of the chip lies around 3800 points, while the multi-core performance is at the impressive 12400 points.
In comparison, the Galaxy S24 features the two-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (in the US, Canada, and China) and the Exynos 2400 internationally. The Qualcomm score of the S24 is around 2400 points in single-core and around 7000 points in multi-core performance, so we're talking about a big jump, almost two times bigger on the new Galaxy S26 Pro.
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Exynos 2600 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM, Storage 16/128GB 16/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
In terms of RAM, the new model will expand the memory to 16GB from the 8GB on the S24. The on board storage configurations are expected to remain the same (although there are some rumors about Samsung dropping the 128GB version).
Given the Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to launch in late January 2026, the operating system on board will be Android 16 with Samsung's OneUI 8 on top. The Galaxy S24 launched with Android 14 and OneUI 6 back in 2024, but the phone has been brought to Android 16 with the recent updates. There are still five years of support left for the S24, and the Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to receive major Android versions all the way up to 2033.
Given the Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to launch in late January 2026, the operating system on board will be Android 16 with Samsung's OneUI 8 on top. The Galaxy S24 launched with Android 14 and OneUI 6 back in 2024, but the phone has been brought to Android 16 with the recent updates. There are still five years of support left for the S24, and the Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to receive major Android versions all the way up to 2033.
Camera
Ultrawide upgrades
After sticking with the same camera system in the past two generations, Samsung is gearing up for an update. The Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to bring a brand-new ultrawide camera to the table, and it will be a 50MP snapper - a big upgrade over the 12MP found on the Galaxy S24 (and on the S25 as well).
The main camera will most likely remain the same—it's a 50MP wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and a 1/1.56" sensor size. Samsung thought about removing the dedicated telephoto, but it seems that the 10MP 3X zoom camera will be present on the Galaxy S26 Pro, which is a good thing—thumbs up for that.
The main camera will most likely remain the same—it's a 50MP wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and a 1/1.56" sensor size. Samsung thought about removing the dedicated telephoto, but it seems that the 10MP 3X zoom camera will be present on the Galaxy S26 Pro, which is a good thing—thumbs up for that.
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" | Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.7 13 mm | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" | Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" |
The Galaxy S24 scored 152 (out of 158) in our composite camera benchmark, with the ultrawide score a bit low at 20 (out of 26). Given the new ultrawide camera on the S26 Pro, we expect great things from the new phone, it might challenge Galaxy Ultra models from the past. But we'll need to test it in the lab and also snap some side-by-side samples to assess the upgrade. Stay tuned.
Battery Life and Charging
4,300 mAh but no silicon inside
There's a slight battery upgrade coming to the Galaxy S26 Pro. It's nothing radical, just 300 mAh on top of the 4,000 mAh battery that the past two generations have. We don't think Samsung is ready to incorporate silicon-carbon tech in the Galaxy lineup just yet, and while other flagships now offer 7,300 mAh batteries (the OnePlus 15), the Galaxy S series is lagging behind.
The Galaxy S24 managed a battery life estimate of 6h 37m, which put it at 85th place among phones tested in the past 2 years. That's a disappointing result, and many people find the battery life of the vanilla S-series phones a bit underwhelming. We'll have to see if 300 mAh makes a significant difference.
The Galaxy S24 managed a battery life estimate of 6h 37m, which put it at 85th place among phones tested in the past 2 years. That's a disappointing result, and many people find the battery life of the vanilla S-series phones a bit underwhelming. We'll have to see if 300 mAh makes a significant difference.
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,300 mAh | Battery size 4,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 3.0 | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 2.0 |
Charging is expected to remain unchanged, at least based on the information we have at the moment, another disappointment given the blazing fast wired charging many phones from the Far East now sport. The Galaxy S24 supports 25W of wired charging power and fills its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 12 minutes.
The Galaxy S26 Pro is expected to jump on the Qi2 train, offering magnets on its back to help with wireless charging alignment, and we expect a slew of MagSafe-like accessories to begin showing up once the new phone goes official.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs overview of the two phones. For a detailed Galaxy S26 Pro vs Galaxy S24 specs comparison follow the link.
| Galaxy S26 Pro* | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 149.3 x 71.4 x 6.96 mm - | Size, weight 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm 167 grams |
| Screen 6.3" OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.2" OLED 120Hz |
| Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Exynos 2600 3nm | Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm |
| Versions: 16/128GB 16/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5 | Versions: 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 50MP main 50MP ultra 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front | Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultra 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front |
| Battery: 4,300 mAh | Battery: 4000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless Qi2 certified | Charging: USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless |
*rumored
Summary
These two phones are two years apart, but even at this early stage we can clearly see that the upgrades are not that huge. The latest chipset will make an appearance on the Galaxy S26 Pro, and it will be fast, no doubt about it, and there will be a new ultrawide camera, coupled with a slightly larger battery. But that seems to be it.
Should you upgrade then if you're still rocking the Galaxy S24? Well, probably not, as there are five years left in that model, and the real-life difference won't be that huge, we reckon. Of course, we need to test the Galaxy S26 Pro in our lab and give you all the nerdy data before passing on a final verdict, but as it stands now, there's not a lot of "pro" to this new phone.
Should you upgrade then if you're still rocking the Galaxy S24? Well, probably not, as there are five years left in that model, and the real-life difference won't be that huge, we reckon. Of course, we need to test the Galaxy S26 Pro in our lab and give you all the nerdy data before passing on a final verdict, but as it stands now, there's not a lot of "pro" to this new phone.
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